Lawrence James wrote in message
k.net...
I'd have to say it depends on how far you're going and if you're boating
in
salt water or fresh. I'm thinking you're not going to be happy going any
great distance with a minivan towing. No brake system is impervious to
salt
water and if you're just running a few miles to the local ramp I'd skip
the
brakes

That's the other consideration. How much maintenance is required on a disc
braking system if it's dunked into sal****er 30 or
so times a year plus maybe 20 for freshwater? I'm thinking I will have to
flush each time in the sal****er. Maybe one of those pressurized spray cans
used to spray trees or shrubs could be kept in the tow vehicle.
Otherwise, I'd have to wait until I got home.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in message
snip
As to the trailer, regardless of how big the trailer is, get rollers
instead of bunks. It will save your back. It's the one thing I hate
about my Ranger center cosole - those stupid bunks.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 01:33:30 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in message
snip
As to the trailer, regardless of how big the trailer is, get rollers
instead of bunks. It will save your back. It's the one thing I hate
about my Ranger center cosole - those stupid bunks.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

Those are good points. I'd still opt for the rollers - much easier to
load and unload.

"Don White" wrote in message
...

Lawrence James wrote in message
k.net...
I'd have to say it depends on how far you're going and if you're boating
in
salt water or fresh. I'm thinking you're not going to be happy going
any
great distance with a minivan towing. No brake system is impervious to
salt
water and if you're just running a few miles to the local ramp I'd skip
the
brakes

That's the other consideration. How much maintenance is required on a disc
braking system if it's dunked into sal****er 30 or
so times a year plus maybe 20 for freshwater? I'm thinking I will have to
flush each time in the sal****er. Maybe one of those pressurized spray
cans
used to spray trees or shrubs could be kept in the tow vehicle.
Otherwise, I'd have to wait until I got home.



Some use a bug sprayer. I just wash mine off after I retrieve the boat. I
may be out 8 hours and the brakes still look fine and stop great. Used to
get 1-1.5 years out of drum brakes before they went bad.
Bill

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 01:33:30 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in
message
snip
As to the trailer, regardless of how big the trailer is, get rollers
instead of bunks. It will save your back. It's the one thing I hate
about my Ranger center cosole - those stupid bunks.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading
each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

Those are good points. I'd still opt for the rollers - much easier to
load and unload.


I have bunks, but also lots of power to load and unload. I launch in
shallow areas, aluminum jetboat, and have no problem. The newer trailers
are going to HMWB plastic for the bunks and the boat slides really easy on
them. Is used for bearings in some cases.
Bill

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 04:10:46 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 01:33:30 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in
message
snip
As to the trailer, regardless of how big the trailer is, get rollers
instead of bunks. It will save your back. It's the one thing I hate
about my Ranger center cosole - those stupid bunks.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading
each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

Those are good points. I'd still opt for the rollers - much easier to
load and unload.


I have bunks, but also lots of power to load and unload. I launch in
shallow areas, aluminum jetboat, and have no problem. The newer trailers
are going to HMWB plastic for the bunks and the boat slides really easy on
them. Is used for bearings in some cases.

I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the tip.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

Don White wrote:
As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

IIRC you're another sailor, right? Don't put a sailboat on rollers.
Sailboats are not built the way motorboats are. Rollers do not support
the hull well enough. Plus, you won't be power loading so you don't
really need them.

With regard to brakes.... get them. They will need to be rinsed after
every salt water use, and some maintenance once a year, but if they save
your life even once, they're worth it. We have hydraulic surge brakes
and they've saved us from a crash at least a dozen times. Other drivers
are just too erratic & selfish to count on the "leave extra distance"
theory.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Tom,
Maybe if you placed some rollers to assist the bunks, best of both
worlds.
Paul

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 01:33:30 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in
message
snip
As to the trailer, regardless of how big the trailer is, get rollers
instead of bunks. It will save your back. It's the one thing I hate
about my Ranger center cosole - those stupid bunks.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

As I've read it...better to have the rollers if launching and loading
each
time you go out....but the bunks are better if you
store your boat on the trailer. (better load distribution re long
winters/late springs?)
I'll be doing both..........

Those are good points. I'd still opt for the rollers - much easier to
load and unload.

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 06:47:40 -0500, "Paul Schilter"
paulschilter@comcast,dot,net wrote:

Tom,
Maybe if you placed some rollers to assist the bunks, best of both
worlds.

Another good idea - thanks.

DSK wrote in message
. ..
IIRC you're another sailor, right? Don't put a sailboat on rollers.
Sailboats are not built the way motorboats are. Rollers do not support
the hull well enough. Plus, you won't be power loading so you don't
really need them.

With regard to brakes.... get them. They will need to be rinsed after
every salt water use, and some maintenance once a year, but if they save
your life even once, they're worth it. We have hydraulic surge brakes
and they've saved us from a crash at least a dozen times. Other drivers
are just too erratic & selfish to count on the "leave extra distance"
theory.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Guilty as charged!
Yes, it will be a sailboat (Sandpiper 565).
I'm pretty well set on the brakes now.... and with the plastic covered
bunks, the boat should slip off fairly easily.
No power loading for me...everything smooth & easy.
I'd better start pricing the trailers. I can see $ 2K CDN floating away.